Could their presents be LETHAL?

Online marketplaces are flooded with cheap, unsafe or fake toys from unregulated sellers, which could kill a child. So how can you be sure your purchases are safe?

- LOUISE BATY, FIONA KINLOCH

Just days ago, your children, grandchildren or nieces and nephews excitedly ripped open presents around the tree. But can you be sure that their brand-new toys are safe to play with?

With so many Christmas shoppers spending their money online – particularly during lockdowns – and popular online marketplaces making purchasing easier than ever, the latest fad for our kids is just one click away. Yet, although toys must be safe by law, you may be horrified to learn there are no legal requirements for online marketplaces to check the safety of third-party sellers’ products.

Shockingly, a new report has found that 60% of toys from online marketplaces could kill or seriously injure children. Risk factors include products with cords that could strangle a child and toys with loose metal batteries which could cause fatal internal injuries. Additionally, the British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) found that 86% of toys tested from various marketplaces are legal to sell in the UK. So how can you tell which toys will not only keep your children entertained but also safe from harm?

Woman’s Own investigates.

‘PEOPLE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO CHECK FOR’

Paola Dyboski-Bryant, 51, runs Dr. Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles and lives in Snowdonia. I started my business nearly 10 years ago from my kitchen table. The spark of an idea first formed as I watched my son Ziggy, then 18 months, in fits of giggles, whenever he was around bubbles. Now we manufacture a line of giant-bubble toys sold worldwide from our factory in Wales.